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2024 election updates: Harris calls Trump's Cheney comments 'disqualifying'

Trump said she should face "nine barrels," appearing to suggest a firing squad.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Tal Axelrod, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: November 1, 2024, 3:06 PM EDT

With four days to go -- and the candidates engaging in their final push -- Donald Trump is lashing out at Liz Cheney, who's supporting Kamala Harris. Thursday night in Arizona, he called her a "war hawk" and said she should face "nine barrels," appearing to suggest a firing squad.

Both Trump and Harris are heading into the last weekend of the campaign by spending time in the crucial Midwest on Friday, both ending up in battleground Wisconsin with dueling rallies in Milwaukee.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing:
Nov 1, 4:23 pm

More than 68 million Americans have voted early

As of 4 p.m. ET on Friday, more than 68 million Americans have voted early, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida.

Of the total number of early votes, 36,397,988 were cast in person and 31,941,931 were returned by mail.

First-time voter Kayria Hildebran holds baby Kayden Hildebran as she fills out her ballot during in-person early voting at Hamilton County Board of Elections, Oct. 31, 2024, in Cincinnati.
Carolyn Kaster/AP

2 hours ago

Harris says Trump's violent rhetoric 'must be disqualifying'

Speaking to reporters ahead of an afternoon of campaigning in Wisconsin, Harris slammed Trump for his recent comments attacking Liz Cheney and other political opponents.

"This must be disqualifying," Harris said. "Anyone who wants to be president of the United States, who uses that kind of violent rhetoric, is clearly disqualified and unqualified to be president."

"Representative Cheney is a true patriot who has shown extraordinary courage in putting country above party," she added. "Trump is increasingly, however, someone who considers his political opponents the enemy, is permanently out for revenge and is increasingly unstable and unhinged."

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speak to the press after arriving at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, Nov. 1, 2024.
Brendan Smialowski/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

11:26 AM EDT

US Capitol Police Union urges force to be prepared for Election Day and beyond

The U.S. Capitol Police Union is urging the U.S. Capitol Police to be prepared to tackle any issue that arises on or after Election Day.

"The Department must communicate and work with rank-and-file officers as we prepare for this election, the certification and Inauguration -- we cannot repeat the failures of four years ago," U.S. Capitol Police Chief Union chairman Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement released on Friday.

On Jan. 6, 2021, over 140 Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan Police officers were injured. One officer died the next day and several others took their lives in the days after the attack, according to the union.

"Our officers will be out in force to protect the Capitol Complex, Members of Congress and their staffs," Papathanasiou said. "We trust our fellow Americans to support law enforcement by supporting and respecting our officers by allowing every vote to be counted in a safe, secure election process. There is no place for violence in our elections."

-ABC News' Luke Barr

10:40 AM EDT

Trump campaign attempts to spin Cheney comments

Trump's campaign is attempting to spin Trump's violent rhetoric against former Rep. Liz Cheney.

Karoline Leavitt, Trump's spokesperson, claimed on Friday morning that his remarks were being taken out of context.

"President Trump was CLEARLY explaining that warmongers like Liz Cheney are very quick to start wars and send other Americans to fight them, rather than go into combat themselves," Leavitt wrote on X.

She also shared a clip of Trump's talk with Tucker Carlson when Trump said: "Let's put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK, let's see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face. You know, they're all war hawks when they're sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, 'Oh, gee, well, let's send a -- let's send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy.'"

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa

9:31 AM EDT

Cheney responds: 'This is how dictators destroy free nations'

Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney responded to Trump's comments in a post on X.

"This is how dictators destroy free nations," she wrote. "They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant."

She also included the hashtag #VoteKamala in the post.